Masahiro Morioka
@masahiromorioka.bsky.social
Philosopher. Professor, Waseda University. Books: Painless Civilization (2003), Manga Introduction to Philosophy (2013), What Is Antinatalism? And Other Essays (2024). Editor of JPL: http://philosophyoflife.org Personal website: https://www.lifestudies.org
Pinned
The English translation of my 1996 book, “How to Live in a Post-Religious Age: Terrorism, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Life”, has been published as an open-access book.
www.philosophyoflife.org/tpp/howtoliv... (free PDF)
#cult #terrorism #philosophy
I believe that the arguments in this book
www.philosophyoflife.org/tpp/howtoliv... (free PDF)
#cult #terrorism #philosophy
I believe that the arguments in this book
Costanza Rizzacasa d'Orsogna @costanzardo.bsky.social will give a talk on the meaning of life in Japanese philosophy:
University of Pavia, December 17, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
花は咲く（Hana wa Saku）
Hanyū, Shionuma, Morioka: The Meaning of Life in Japanese Philosophy
Zoom
unipv-it.zoom.us/j/95222131206
University of Pavia, December 17, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
花は咲く（Hana wa Saku）
Hanyū, Shionuma, Morioka: The Meaning of Life in Japanese Philosophy
Zoom
unipv-it.zoom.us/j/95222131206
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.
unipv-it.zoom.us
December 14, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Costanza Rizzacasa d'Orsogna @costanzardo.bsky.social will give a talk on the meaning of life in Japanese philosophy:
University of Pavia, December 17, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
花は咲く（Hana wa Saku）
Hanyū, Shionuma, Morioka: The Meaning of Life in Japanese Philosophy
Zoom
unipv-it.zoom.us/j/95222131206
University of Pavia, December 17, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
花は咲く（Hana wa Saku）
Hanyū, Shionuma, Morioka: The Meaning of Life in Japanese Philosophy
Zoom
unipv-it.zoom.us/j/95222131206
he Korean edition of my book "Would It be Better Never to Have Been Born?" ("生まれてこないほうが良かったのか？" Chikuma Shobō, 2020), which discusses the history of ideas about birth negation and antinatalism has just been published under the title "태어나지 않는 게 더 나았을까?". product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S0002...
December 1, 2025 at 12:53 PM
he Korean edition of my book "Would It be Better Never to Have Been Born?" ("生まれてこないほうが良かったのか？" Chikuma Shobō, 2020), which discusses the history of ideas about birth negation and antinatalism has just been published under the title "태어나지 않는 게 더 나았을까?". product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S0002...
Reposted by Masahiro Morioka
So I'm going to be at McGill next week, talking up philosophy of grief, AI, griefbots, the whole bit! Hope those of you in and around Montreal can find the time to drop by...
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
So I'm going to be at McGill next week, talking up philosophy of grief, AI, griefbots, the whole bit! Hope those of you in and around Montreal can find the time to drop by...
I’ve turned the English translation of my book "How to Live in a Post-Religious Age: Terrorism, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Life" (1996, 2025) into HTML pages. You can now read them on your smartphone too.
Chapter 1: Between Science and Religion
www.lifestudies.org/howtolive01....
..continues
Chapter 1: Between Science and Religion
www.lifestudies.org/howtolive01....
..continues
Between Science and Religion: How to Live in a Post-Religious Age - Terrorism, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Life, Chapter 1
www.lifestudies.org
November 17, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I’ve turned the English translation of my book "How to Live in a Post-Religious Age: Terrorism, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Life" (1996, 2025) into HTML pages. You can now read them on your smartphone too.
Chapter 1: Between Science and Religion
www.lifestudies.org/howtolive01....
..continues
Chapter 1: Between Science and Religion
www.lifestudies.org/howtolive01....
..continues
International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying will be holding its sixth biennial conference June 9-11, 2026 at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. The deadline for abstract submissions is 3 November 2025.
www.philosophyofdeath.org/sixth-bienni...
www.philosophyofdeath.org/sixth-bienni...
October 22, 2025 at 5:14 AM
International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying will be holding its sixth biennial conference June 9-11, 2026 at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. The deadline for abstract submissions is 3 November 2025.
www.philosophyofdeath.org/sixth-bienni...
www.philosophyofdeath.org/sixth-bienni...
Reposted by Masahiro Morioka
Book cover for An Anthology of Blackness: The State of Black Design.
The presentation based on this chapter was really interesting. Didn’t know about the first emergency medical response team was formed by Black volunteers.
The presentation based on this chapter was really interesting. Didn’t know about the first emergency medical response team was formed by Black volunteers.
September 15, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Book cover for An Anthology of Blackness: The State of Black Design.
The presentation based on this chapter was really interesting. Didn’t know about the first emergency medical response team was formed by Black volunteers.
The presentation based on this chapter was really interesting. Didn’t know about the first emergency medical response team was formed by Black volunteers.
Eighth International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life
(March 26-28, 2026 | University of Oklahoma)
The deadline for abstracts will be October 26.
www.ou.edu/cas/philosop...
(March 26-28, 2026 | University of Oklahoma)
The deadline for abstracts will be October 26.
www.ou.edu/cas/philosop...
September 15, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Eighth International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life
(March 26-28, 2026 | University of Oklahoma)
The deadline for abstracts will be October 26.
www.ou.edu/cas/philosop...
(March 26-28, 2026 | University of Oklahoma)
The deadline for abstracts will be October 26.
www.ou.edu/cas/philosop...
In this Japanese book, I was interviewed about the “fear of death” (thanatophobia), and I explained my ideas in a clear and organized way. So if you’re interested in this topic, I think you’ll find it an easy and engaging read.
September 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM
In this Japanese book, I was interviewed about the “fear of death” (thanatophobia), and I explained my ideas in a clear and organized way. So if you’re interested in this topic, I think you’ll find it an easy and engaging read.
During a casual chat at a small seminar, I mentioned proudly that I finally finished watching Harry Potter movies on my round trip to Edinburgh. But it turned out everyone else there knew Harry Potter inside out,
September 15, 2025 at 3:55 PM
During a casual chat at a small seminar, I mentioned proudly that I finally finished watching Harry Potter movies on my round trip to Edinburgh. But it turned out everyone else there knew Harry Potter inside out,
My presentation on robots and the concept of inochi (“Can a robot have life?”) at the European Network of Japanese Philosophy (ENOJP) is now over, and after the long discussion I realized that my argument had many problems. On the night of the presentation,
September 8, 2025 at 4:52 PM
My presentation on robots and the concept of inochi (“Can a robot have life?”) at the European Network of Japanese Philosophy (ENOJP) is now over, and after the long discussion I realized that my argument had many problems. On the night of the presentation,
International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying will hold its sixth biennial conference on June 9–11, 2026, at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. We warmly invite you to come to Tokyo and join the discussion on the philosophy of death and dying at Waseda.
Roster of exciting new IAPDD events! (1) Call for abstracts for our biennial conference, being held in Tokyo, June 2026. Deadline for submissions is 3 November! www.philosophyofdeath.org/sixth-bienni...
Sixth biennial conference, Tokyo - Philosophy of Death
IAPDD will be holding its sixth biennial conference June 9-11, 2026 at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. Call for abstracts IAPDD seeks abstracts for presentations at the 2026 biennial conference. Abst...
www.philosophyofdeath.org
August 31, 2025 at 7:02 AM
International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying will hold its sixth biennial conference on June 9–11, 2026, at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. We warmly invite you to come to Tokyo and join the discussion on the philosophy of death and dying at Waseda.
Reposted by Masahiro Morioka
Roster of exciting new IAPDD events! (1) Call for abstracts for our biennial conference, being held in Tokyo, June 2026. Deadline for submissions is 3 November! www.philosophyofdeath.org/sixth-bienni...
Sixth biennial conference, Tokyo - Philosophy of Death
IAPDD will be holding its sixth biennial conference June 9-11, 2026 at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. Call for abstracts IAPDD seeks abstracts for presentations at the 2026 biennial conference. Abst...
www.philosophyofdeath.org
August 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Roster of exciting new IAPDD events! (1) Call for abstracts for our biennial conference, being held in Tokyo, June 2026. Deadline for submissions is 3 November! www.philosophyofdeath.org/sixth-bienni...
At the ENOJP Conference in Edinburgh on September 4th, I will give a talk on robots and the concept of inochi (life). Below is a summary made by ChatGPT (😊). #robot #ethics #philsky
＿＿＿＿＿
This presentation asks a simple but profound question:
Can a robot have inochi (life)?
To answer this, I will:
＿＿＿＿＿
This presentation asks a simple but profound question:
Can a robot have inochi (life)?
To answer this, I will:
August 25, 2025 at 11:16 AM
There has been very little philosophical work on the concept of “inochi” (life in Japanese) so far. I plan to revisit and update one of the few existing studies, my “The Concept of Inochi” (1991), and present it at the ENOJP conference in Edinburgh this September. enojp.org
European Network of Japanese Philosophy
Supporting and advancing the knowledge of Japanese Philosophy in European Languages
enojp.org
August 15, 2025 at 9:36 AM
There has been very little philosophical work on the concept of “inochi” (life in Japanese) so far. I plan to revisit and update one of the few existing studies, my “The Concept of Inochi” (1991), and present it at the ENOJP conference in Edinburgh this September. enojp.org
The Spanish translation of my book Manga Introduction to Philosopy. (Introduccion a la Filosofia en manga.) It’s available on Amazon.
amazon.com/dp/B0DF6MDV97/
amazon.com/dp/B0DF6MDV97/
August 4, 2025 at 3:41 PM
The Spanish translation of my book Manga Introduction to Philosopy. (Introduccion a la Filosofia en manga.) It’s available on Amazon.
amazon.com/dp/B0DF6MDV97/
amazon.com/dp/B0DF6MDV97/
When people read what I write, they often say the logical flow is super clear, that's probably one of my strengths. But when they actually talk to me, I’m just like, “Uh, I don’t know,” or “Hmm, I wonder…?” all the time. I guess that’s just how my brain is wired, so it can’t be helped.
August 4, 2025 at 3:35 PM
When people read what I write, they often say the logical flow is super clear, that's probably one of my strengths. But when they actually talk to me, I’m just like, “Uh, I don’t know,” or “Hmm, I wonder…?” all the time. I guess that’s just how my brain is wired, so it can’t be helped.
If I get a flash of a new idea, that alone keeps me happy for the rest of the day. On the flip side, if nothing like that comes up, I end the day feeling kind of unsatisfied. For me, the joy of discovering an idea might actually be greater than the feeling of making progress on a paper. #philosophy
August 2, 2025 at 3:26 PM
If I get a flash of a new idea, that alone keeps me happy for the rest of the day. On the flip side, if nothing like that comes up, I end the day feeling kind of unsatisfied. For me, the joy of discovering an idea might actually be greater than the feeling of making progress on a paper. #philosophy
Today, while I was listening to a friend’s philosophy talk, I suddenly got closer to solving a philosophical problem I’d been thinking about, even though it was only loosely related to the topic of the lecture. It’s weird how breakthroughs often come from ideas that are just slightly off-topic.
July 30, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Today, while I was listening to a friend’s philosophy talk, I suddenly got closer to solving a philosophical problem I’d been thinking about, even though it was only loosely related to the topic of the lecture. It’s weird how breakthroughs often come from ideas that are just slightly off-topic.
Reposted by Masahiro Morioka
Of course mood and outlook shape meaning of life, but the motivation to have reality the way one wants isn't sufficiently explored here. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A Phenomenological Approach to the Philosophy of Meaning in Life - Philosophia
Philosophia - In this paper I introduce two phenomenological ideas, affordance and enaction, to the philosophical discussion of meaning in life. I further analyse how our attitude or commitment to...
link.springer.com
July 28, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Of course mood and outlook shape meaning of life, but the motivation to have reality the way one wants isn't sufficiently explored here. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
This is another commentary on my paper "A Phenomenological Approach to the Philosophy of Meaning in Life". #philsky #psyhology
studyfinds.org/your-lifes-m...
studyfinds.org/your-lifes-m...
Your Life's Meaning Changes Based On How You Choose To Face Crisis
New research proposes a “geographic model” showing how perspective shapes meaning in life’s darkest moments.
studyfinds.org
July 29, 2025 at 2:25 PM
This is another commentary on my paper "A Phenomenological Approach to the Philosophy of Meaning in Life". #philsky #psyhology
studyfinds.org/your-lifes-m...
studyfinds.org/your-lifes-m...
Since Waseda University issued a news release, my recent paper, "A Phenomenological Approach to the Philosophy of Meaning in Life" (Philosophia — link.springer.com/article/10.1... ), has been featured on several newssites. #phenomenology #philsky #meaningoflife
neurosciencenews.com/exploration-...
neurosciencenews.com/exploration-...
Discovering Life’s Meaning Through Emotion and Exploration - Neuroscience News
A new philosophical theory proposes that the meaning of life isn’t something static, but something we feel out as we move through life with different emotional stances.
neurosciencenews.com
July 29, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Since Waseda University issued a news release, my recent paper, "A Phenomenological Approach to the Philosophy of Meaning in Life" (Philosophia — link.springer.com/article/10.1... ), has been featured on several newssites. #phenomenology #philsky #meaningoflife
neurosciencenews.com/exploration-...
neurosciencenews.com/exploration-...
Today I am giving a talk at Keio University titled:
"The Sense of Someone Appearing There: Other Minds, Deceased People, Robots, and Animated Persona".
"The Sense of Someone Appearing There: Other Minds, Deceased People, Robots, and Animated Persona".
July 3, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Today I am giving a talk at Keio University titled:
"The Sense of Someone Appearing There: Other Minds, Deceased People, Robots, and Animated Persona".
"The Sense of Someone Appearing There: Other Minds, Deceased People, Robots, and Animated Persona".
Reposted by Masahiro Morioka
🇯🇵🗞️ My April 2025 interview with Japanese philosopher and Waseda University professor Masahiro Morioka @masahiromorioka.bsky.social is available in Italian corriere.it/sette/25_apr... , English lifestudies.org/CORRIERE.html , and Japanese lifestudies.org/jp/CORRIERE_... . Please, check it out!
corriere.it
June 29, 2025 at 2:38 AM
🇯🇵🗞️ My April 2025 interview with Japanese philosopher and Waseda University professor Masahiro Morioka @masahiromorioka.bsky.social is available in Italian corriere.it/sette/25_apr... , English lifestudies.org/CORRIERE.html , and Japanese lifestudies.org/jp/CORRIERE_... . Please, check it out!
I attended the 7th International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life at Carleton University in Ottawa. All of the presentations I attended were interesting. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Professor David Matheson for his excellent management of the conference.
June 28, 2025 at 12:33 PM
I attended the 7th International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life at Carleton University in Ottawa. All of the presentations I attended were interesting. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Professor David Matheson for his excellent management of the conference.
Night in Tokyo.
June 10, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Night in Tokyo.